Course Syllabus

V390 (5981) Summer 2026 Syllabus (Wager) final.pdf

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS

This course requires students to purchase 1, 2, or 3 popular leadership books. All books will be available in the IU Indianapolis Library (2^nd floor), but each book is also available in digital, audio, or paper copy from popular book sellers and websites (Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, Folletts, Half-priced Books, etc.). Students enrolled for 3 credit hours must read/listen to three books. 

• Maxwell, J. C. (2024). High road leadership: Bringing people together in a world that divides. Maxwell Leadership. (ISBN‑13: 979‑8887100340) [amazon.com]
• Covey, S. M. R., Kasperson, D., Covey, M., & Judd, G. T. (2022). Trust and inspire: How truly great leaders unleash greatness in others. Simon & Schuster. (ISBN‑13: 978‑1982143725) [amazon.com], [directtextbook.com]
• Student Choice: Students may select a contemporary leadership book written on topics related to use of power, employee engagement or trust, or other approved related topics. Students who are enrolled in 1 or 2 credit hours are NOT required to complete a third summer reading. The instructor will read the following book to provide a comparative anchor reflection for Discussion 4.

Schaninger, B., Hancock, B., & Field, E. (2023). Power to the middle: Why managers hold the keys to the future of work. Harvard Business Review Press. (ISBN‑13: 978‑1647824853)

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, a student should be able to:

• Critically analyze leadership and organizational literature to identify central arguments, assumptions, frameworks, and implications for practice.
• Engage in scholarly and professional dialogue by contributing thoughtfully to structured discussions and advancing collective understanding.
• Demonstrate reflective depth and appropriate academic or professional writing tone.
• Compare and contrast distinct leadership perspectives and assess their influence on organizational, team, and personal effectiveness.